Accidental Love
by GeminiGemelo
Summary: Simba and Mufasa are dead, and the now-barren Pridelands fall to the paws of Zira and Scar. Yet there is one sliver of hope - one plan of the huntress' which is entirely different in its designs... and it will require the efforts of the young lioness Nala. AU.
1. Shadowland

_**A/N:**_

_Call me crazy, but I wanted to start a new fic. :3 Yep. I've had this idea for a while, and wanted to let it out. And no, this is not the next fic I've been talking about - that won't be published until it's finished. Anyways... I'll explain more at the end. Enjoy. First part's a prologue._

* * *

"Mommy, could you tell me a story, please?"

A lioness cub set her front paws on the dozing figure before her, causing the fully-grown female to open one eye sleepily. She huffed, exhausted from the day's hunt, but turned to look at the hopeful expression on her daughter's face.

"Again? I told you one just last night. Why don't you play with prince Mfalme—it's a _beautiful_ day out!" The lioness placed particular emphasis on the word beautiful, seemingly too tired to relate one of the many histories of the Pridelands that her own mother had taught her. She set her head back down on her paws as she thoughtfully studied her energetic offspring.

"But mom, I don't want to talk to Mfalme right now. He's spending too much time with Zuri, and she's not very nice to me." She pouted slightly, hoping to get her mother's attention.

"Well, sweetie," she started, attempting to explain as well as she could, "one day Zuri and Mfalme are going to get married. Maybe they just want some time alone." Her daughter didn't appear to be any less disheartened.

"But mom, I like him. Maybe _I_ want some alone time with him too. I could be his bestest friend ever!" she grinned momentarily, but her smile quickly faded into a vaguely sad expression, "… If he would let me…"

"Mmmm." The lioness sighed, worried for the little cub. She drew her daughter close to her with a paw. "There will be many lions out there, Aina. Someday you'll find one just for you."

"Like who?" The cub asked innocently, jumping onto her mother's back and nestling her head into the lioness' warm, comforting fur. For several seconds all was silent as the younger lion bathed in her mother's thick, dusty scent.

"Why, I don't know!" the lioness responded warmly, smiling at her only daughter as she suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground with a small _thud_. "You'll have to find out for yourself."

"In fact"—she paused for a moment—"I think I know _just _the story to tell you. It's about a lion… and a lioness like you."

Aina appeared amazed, her expression immediately betraying one of emphatic excitement. "Tell me, tell me, tell me! Please, mom, please!"

"Well, I don't know… for a young cub like you…"

"Come on, Mom! I'm old enough! Tell me, _please_." The cub again placed her paws on her mother's shoulder, looking dejected.

"Oh, alright," she chuckled, seeing no choice but to relent—the look on her daughter's face was simply too much. "Well, it's been a while since my mother told me this story. But the way I remember… it went something like this…"

* * *

A lioness walked through the desert late at night.

It wasn't the best time to be out, nor was it very comfortable. The cold wind of the landscape ruffled her fur, and the arid dryness parched her throat as she marched forward purposefully. At first she appeared to be alone, her slim figure barely noticeable as a dark silhouette in the midst of the blackness. The shadows practically enveloped her, almost as if they too were spirited, vicious beings. Which, really, was all too familiar. There were other malicious creatures living here, which set the atmosphere into one of dread and unsettling quiet. The soft tread of her footstep quickly echoed off into oblivion, the very landscape trying to dim and eventually mute any traces of moving, cacophonous life. To be alive was a gift rarely given here, which was evident by the stumps of the many long-dead trees scattered and peppered across the gently rolling, dusty dunes—the remnants of grassy knolls and meadow-blanketed hills.

She stopped there, studying the landscape around her with eyes like eagles', her brow furrowing and her expression morphing into one of serious calm. There was nothing here; not now. Even the crepuscular, twilight-thriving life forms had disappeared… presumably deep into their burrows, though they could have vanished out of the mortal realm completely. That was, really, the only possible explanation. The heat-bleached, snow-white skeletons of several unfortunate animals littered the barren ground, and there was no prey in sight. Only a few bats, barely visible in the sky, and some night-creeping moles. Perhaps an owl here and there as well. But these were off the menu, even if she _was_ able to catch and skin one. But she wasn't, so the point was dreadfully moot.

More moments passed in utter silence, any hint of noise quickly being drowned out by the screeching dirge of the wordless night. The full moon was blotted out by the inky, mournful clouds, which had appeared good-naturedly but never dropped their precious cargo—rain—to the moisture-lacking land below. She looked to her left solemnly and nodded. A signal.

Another lioness appeared in the midst of the shadowy landscape: her friend. A young, pale-pelted female with plenty of determination and drive—that much was clear simply from her presence there, in the midst of the affecting solitude. She approached the vista of a large sand hill and stared off into the distance, her features glazed and listless with morose seriousness. But it was all in vain. Not a single animal or game trail was spotted between the two of them. Only emptiness. It hadn't always been this way, unfortunately... but this barren shell of a kingdom was now the truth, and it was what it was. Devoid.

"Nala, do you think we should return?"

There was a pause as the older lioness pressed her lips together, thinking. As much as she hated coming back empty-handed—or empty-pawed, as the case may be—there didn't appear to be much choice. If they stayed out much later their absence was bound to be noticed. Notwithstanding the fact that if there was no game _now_, there would almost certainly be nothing later. Their chances of returning successfully were slim to nil.

"What else can we do? The land's destroyed. There will be nothing to return to unless something is done."

"That's a rather pessimistic point-of-view."

"Yes, but you know of nothing else, Nyota."

"… That doesn't mean we can't have hope, though," the younger lioness commented quietly, the wind gently ruffling her soft, young fur as she looked longingly over her shoulder… towards the only home any of them had ever known.

"We can't continue like this forever… and if the king doesn't do something we all will starve. It's up to us to tell him something's wrong." The more senior huntress contradicted her statement flatly, turning around and heading off stealthily towards the rest of the pride. Nyota frowned diffidently but followed, her ears flattening slightly as she did so. She was the very youngest of the hunting party, which was one of the reasons why she had absconded from the cave and ventured into the vast unknown in the first place. In addition—of course—to the fact that any extra help would prove valuable to the former queen Sarabi, who was the leader of the hunting group. Yet her paw prints were so much smaller than Nala's, the latter of whom was barely out of adolescence herself. There was certainly a lot for her to learn.

"Sometimes I want to leave Pride Rock. There must be better places for us. But Scar isn't doing anything about it, and it sickens me."

"King Scar," the younger lioness stopped momentarily, attempting to get Nala's attention. "And hold no animus towards our leader. Why should he seek to destroy us?"

"I don't know!" she growled stubbornly, "but I don't think we should stay to find out."

"Mmmm… perhaps." Nyota dismissed her halfheartedly, clearly possessing no further desire to argue… lest they get into trouble.

The pair of friends crept through the shadows, hoping that the darkness would blot out the light shades of their pelts. The sparse, dry grass under their paws receded, the vegetation which remained having been hopelessly trampled under hundreds of hooves, feet, claws, and paws. They were nearing Pride Rock, the formerly boisterous hub of their kingdom. Blackness was cast over each crevice, the entire place emitting a disquieting aura of sad, depressive gloom. There was only one visible sign of life in the atmosphere: the steady breathing of the single lioness awaiting them. Alas, the huntress' ears were so sharp, and the stillness so complete, that they could even hear her heart beating several yards away—which was why the empty-handed hunt was especially disappointing.

"How did it go, girls?" the lioness queried surreptitiously, glancing around and scanning for any potential sources of danger. Luckily, most of the pride, as well as the filthy beasts which mingled therein, were sound asleep.

Nyota exchanged a sad, questioning glance with Nala, who only shook her head sadly.

"Same as today's hunt, my queen"—she bowed her head respectfully towards the ex-monarch—"there's nothing out there."

"Well, that's unfortunate," the eldest of the trio pressed her lips together tightly, dismayed. She wasn't actually the queen anymore, but it was still a kind gesture on Nala's part. Nyota bashfully followed suit, dipping her head low in front of Sarabi.

"Get inside, girls. Wouldn't want Scar's guards to find you out here this late."

"Agreed," the lionesses interjected simultaneously, all too eager to head to the den, which was filled with peaceful murmurs and the sounds of snoring. It was dangerous to be out past nightfall—not only was it the law, but it was also common sense. The night gave rise to vicious beings…

However, the two were suddenly stopped short, and they froze in their tracks as another silhouette approached from afar, the heavy thud of trudging footsteps gradually waxing and tickling their ears as they listened. Sarabi was already gone, and didn't appear to hear anything, but the two remaining huntresses intuitively turned their heads, trying to focus their vision on the oddly-shaped figure that was slowly appearing through the darkness blanketing the outside world.

Indeed, Pride Rock was like the eye of a typhoon—a single place of shelter in the midst of the wastelands. It was to here that the lionesses inevitably returned. Yet this wasn't just a lioness. A sharp and pungent scent quickly wafted past their noses, causing their mouths to inadvertently water. Something was amiss. In fact, now that they thought about it, there was a rather odd sound accompanied with this figure. A sort of strange… _scuffling_… could it be…?

"_Oh, for the love of…_"

"What is it, Nala?" Nyota piped up timidly, still baffled by the creeping, lumbering figure that seemed to be dragging itself across the ground. She took a harder sniff, and finally stiffened as realization spread across her face. It was another lioness—that much was obvious. But, unlike Nyota and Nala, this particular one was not hunting in secret to earn the hard-working huntresses a meal—oh no. The skinny, emaciated female was trying to bring back food for another… her mate. At least, the pride considered them to be mates, since she stuck to him like dew to a leaf. But it wasn't actually official… yet.

"Waff do you fink you're doing?" the foreign arrival replied, her teeth gritted around a heap of antelope flesh. Somehow, this huntress had succeeded in returning with one of the practically non-existent prey animals that still roamed the lands freely. Nala cocked her eyebrow, both surprised and irritated.

"We were talking to Sarabi about important matters, Zira."

"Right," the lioness spat back disbelievingly, having dropped the limb of the carcass she was carrying on the ground with a short thump. "Well, could you cease these important matters of yours and help me?"

"Why should I?" Nala asked indignantly, not seeing why she should even budge.

"Heh, don't play that little game with me, prick. I've got half a mind to report you to our _king_ as it is. You aren't supposed to be out this late without express permission."

"Come on, Nala," Nyota pled with her friend, who was glowering at their adversary angrily, "we don't want to get in trouble again." The older lioness only looked at her with a glare that told her to remain quiet.

"Why do you even do this to yourself? You go out late at night, and waste your energy hunting for someone who doesn't love you. I mean, look at what he did to you!" The young huntress motioned to the skinny lioness' right ear—a painful-looking notch, probably from a claw, cut through its rim.

"_That's none of your business!_" Zira's voice rose profoundly, clearly provoked. Indeed, Nala would have continued… had it not been common sense that irritating Zira was a grave mistake. Her flyaway fury and often accusatory reactions were immensely hard to soothe and placate, and often lead to physical attacks. She paused for a moment, her features tetchily twisted into an expression of cross frustration.

A pause followed.

"That's better," she finally smirked, sensing the vagabond huntress' diffidence, "now bring this to Scar's cave, and _don't wake him_. Otherwise I'll make you and your little runt friend sorry for breaking the law."

Nala rolled her eyes imperceptibly, irritated by her strict, gung-ho outlook: especially concerning her soon-to-be-mate. She was younger than Zira, and technically had to do whatever she commanded; '_respect your elders' _was how she had put it, and Scar was there to back her up on this point. The worst part was that Zira seemed to hold a particular grudge against the young lioness, for reasons she didn't quite understand. But at the same time, it wasn't just her, either. Besides this, Zira considered herself the queen, and condescendingly demanded that everyone fall in line behind her. Whenever Nala—or anyone else, for that matter—made even the slightest mistake, a shower of threats and appeals to the king would shower down upon the unfortunate party. Sometimes she would even attempt to take matters into her own paws, by vainly endeavoring to punish any who even remotely opposed Scar's will. But in Nala's case, the crazed lioness was usually chastised for doing so. Scar would often pardon and vouch for her in the strangest ways possible, and then Zira would reluctantly relent to her mate's will and pretend to go easy on the young adult female.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Zira chirped, butting into her reverie as she nudged the dead animal towards her inferior with her nose. "And remember—service with a smile. Be happy to serve a king as merciful and kind as ours."

"_Or as tyrannical as ours_," Nala muttered under her breath, picking up the limp and pallid body in her jaws. She narrowed her eyes a final time at Zira, before turning around and heading up to the cave. Secretly, she cursed her luck—going up to the king's den was always immensely uncomfortable. Why wasn't Nyota chosen to go? She would have made just as suitable a choice. But no. Zira still allowed the youngest lioness to catch some rest in the den, and nothing more was required of her.

Finally she reached the summit of the promontory, taking a staggered breath as she ventured into the darkness within…

"Here I go…"

* * *

_I'm assuming that you liked it - otherwise you wouldn't have read all the way through the chapter. If you didn't, leave a review and point out where I went wrong. XD Anyways, a few short announcements._

_1. This is a Nala/Scar fic. I figured I'd save that until the end, so I wouldn't turn away all my readers before they even bothered to read through my first chapter. _

_2. This is **not **the "Madness of King Scar" scene from the musical. This is a completely seperate, AU world - and a full-length fic._

_3. There won't be any graphic lemons; however, I have the plot mostly planned already. This is still rated T for mature themes later on, so have discretion._

_4. This is my first attempt at a full-length romance story. I tried to keep Nala in character (and will continue to do so throughout the fic), but this is my first time writing for her. So let me know how I did. ;o_

_R&R or F&F (fave and follow) - whatever floats your boat. This will probably be on the backburner until Trampled's over, so it may be a while for an update. Just throwing that out there. ~Peace._

_- Twin (:_


	2. First Encounters

_**A/N:**_

_Well, here it is. Chapter 2 of my 'experiment'. ;) I'm not going to respond to all of my reviewers like I'm doing on Trampled... it takes too long, and presumably bores people. x.x But I'd still like to sincerely thank the six people who reviewed, all of whom decided to follow this fic! :D Thanks; that means a lot. (: _

_Alas, based on the reviews, I seem to be getting similar responses: most of you appear to display a certain, reluctant sort of cautious optimism, or simply complete surprise. As sad as it is to say, I completely empathize. Most of the NalaxScar fics I've seen **are **creepy - it's just a fact. xD But I assure you that I will try my best: fics (excepting one-shots) are not endeavors that I enter into lightly. ;o_

* * *

Clouds caused a dark night, and they were always present. Always blotting out a significant portion of the sky. Mixing and blending it into the same universal and congruous hue: a dark, thick, shadow-strewn black. The moon rarely peeked its brilliant head out from the cover it held, even though it was waxed to its peak and dazzlingly full. Analogously, the stars too were hidden, the small pricks and flickers of light all but drowned in the vast sea of oppressing midnight shade.

The darkness of the outside, of course, did nothing but amplify the dismal atmosphere on the inside of the cavern. Whilst the main sleeping quarters were significantly well-lit and comfortable under most circumstances, the erratic and stubborn old king insisted on making his royal domicile separate from that of his subjects. And so he stayed in his old abode, the very same place he had inhabited before his rise to power… despite the fact that it was pitch black, even in broad daylight. The whole place, with its dankness and dampness, was always cold and uninviting. Especially on this particular night… how he was able to stand it was beyond her comprehension.

Nala crept inside warily, trying her hardest not to make a sound. While the monarch rarely stirred or awoke from the depths of his sleep, he was still wildly, almost madly unpredictable. She stopped, listening for the soft and tell-tale sound of breathing before again continuing. Alas, she dearly hoped that he wouldn't rouse himself… she wasn't supposed to be out like this. Oh no. She couldn't afford to get into trouble—not again. While she held some suspicion as to the legitimacy of his rule and disliked the general tactics of his regime, the lioness still knew what was best for her; disturbing Scar was not in her plans.

She readjusted the gazelle in her jaws, several lines of saliva spilling from her mouth as she awkwardly clutched the prey with her teeth. The delicate scent of the animal wafted by her nose, an appetizing odor which left her somewhat… longing.

There was a rare and brief break in the clouds surrounding the moon, causing a small stream of bright light to filter into the cave and vaguely illuminate the resting lion before her. She took another step, intending to set the gazelle down on that rock thither…

The lioness stopped, and stole another glimpse of the slumbering figure before her. His chest continued to rise and fall with the steady tempo of his breathing, and a trail of drool was steadily snaking its way down his chin. Heaps of polished bones—devoid of either meat or morrow—littered the ground, and his belly was slightly distended from a recent meal: the famishing devastation of hunger had not reached him yet. Nala set the gazelle down, now questioning herself.

Would he really miss it? Probably not. He'd already eaten, and though she wasn't supposed to take from a gift meant for the king, it was still merely one small carcass of one measly gazelle… The enticing perfume of meat again trickled through the air, causing her to seriously ponder it. What he and the pride didn't know wouldn't kill them. She picked up the gazelle one final time, prepared and more than willing to retreat from the expansive darkness and abscond from the uncomfortable space within…

"_What do you think you're doing here?_"

Nala froze and slowly turned around, attempting to fix her stare on the source of the impatient, growling voice. But it was futile—the brief show of boldness from the moon subsided, and the celestial orb retreated into its hiding place among the clouds. All was dark… except for the eerily luminescent glint of two piercing eyes in the midst of the all-encompassing dimness. While his expression was hidden and hence unreadable, she could still _tell_… by the rough, hard timbre of his voice. By the sharp snarl emitted from his throat. By his condescendingly and paradoxically passionate antipathy… he was in one of _those _moods. And while her respect for the monarch was limited, she still knew to submit to him at times like these, even if only out of fear.

"A gift… for you."

She uncomfortably set the kill down on the rock, desiring to leave as soon as it was possible. Scar cast but a look at it, then refocused on her with the sharpest possible show of ingratitude. He did not care about the meat—he was more worried about how she had come into possession of it and whereabouts she had been.

"Where were you? Were you out… _hunting_? Without the permission of your ruler?"

The lion rolled off his side and ceased his exhausted slump, presumably rolling onto his stomach—Nala could hear the vague sound of shuffling as he readjusted himself inside the cave, intending to study her closely…

"It's from Zira," Nala rebutted, ignoring his last comment and refusing to show either her fear or her rising anger.

"_Puh_," he spat forcefully, "what do you take me for? A fool? If Zira had caught me something, she would have given it to me _herself_."

Nala growled. Of course… Zira wanted this to happen all along; she was sure of it. Although she was technically out hunting and thus breaking the rules, he had no actual evidence other than the piece of meat she was holding—which wasn't even her own.

"Are you accusing me of breaking the rules?"

"Ah, well, I suppose I simply expected better of you. Perhaps I shouldn't have, hmm?" He lashed his tail about, his momentary anger suppressed and hidden, though not completely quelled, by a brief and temporary reemergence of his trademark calm attitude.

"Just _what _are you saying?" She acted defensively, ears flattened as her paws remained planted into the ground.

"_Nothing_," he snapped, a brusque, guttural rumble momentarily issuing from his throat… before he took a moment and calmed himself, hiding under the masquerade of composure and acting as though nothing had happened. "Heheheh… nothing, dear. Just… _don't _let this happen again."

"Uh, o-okay," Nala stammered, not exactly sure of what she should say… She only stood there for a moment, a blank stare on her face as she tried to comprehend what had happened.

"You may leave now," he reminded the lioness, giving her a quick flick on the flank with his tail. The king lowered his head and slumped onto his side again, clearly wishing to resume his interrupted sleep; his breathing steadily fell to a more relaxed level as he attempted to drift into unconsciousness. The somewhat disgruntled subject of his allowed him to do so, and after a few moments each ceased paying attention to the other.

Nala didn't have to be told twice to exit. The sooner she was out of that dismal, uncomfortable dwelling, the better. She proceeded from the promontory, fearlessly trekking past the smooth ridges and cliffs of rock… over towards her normal resting place. The night was still dark, though there was a vague hint of light—not from the moon, but from its opposite, the sun. Dawn would come soon, and she had not caught a single wink of sleep throughout the whole night. Ahead of her would be another long day of hunting and working. But at least soon, at the moon's half-wane, she and her compatriots would receive a valuable day of respite. A short period of leisure and rest in the midst of a weary and bland existence. In the meantime, she simply had to anticipate and look forward to that day…

"_Nala! _Where were you? The den is cold without you." Nyota lifted her head up in greeting and impatiently addressed Nala—who, submerged in her thoughts, had barely noticed that she was standing towards the entrance of the cavern. Alas, the opening of the cave faced east, and even the minutest portions of sunlight were able to trickle through the air and cast her in silhouette. Her appearance there was obvious and less than discreet.

"Nyota," Nala whispered her name quietly, clambering over the heap of bodies and vainly hoping that none of them would wake up. Several moans followed as she stepped on tails and outstretched limbs, although a few of the lionesses were already awake and preparing for the day ahead. Finally the lioness found a spot devoid of bodies which had been saved for her in the back, and flopped down next to her friend.

"We must have been out later than I thought… is it dawn already?"

"I guess so," Nyota added with a content yawn. "So anyways… why weren't you here sleeping? You must be tired."

"You remember why…" she looked around the cave to make sure Zira wasn't nearby, and lowered her voice, "I had to take that stupid carcass up to the king. He didn't even want it, and he accused me of being out without permission."

"Oh, yeah… so, what did he say to you?"

"I don't know. He just shrugged it off and let me go. After acting thoroughly strange, just like he always does… I swear, Nyota, there's something about him… something I don't like." She heaved a sigh and looked outside ruefully, not wanting to leave so soon.

"Please, Nala. He's not _that_ bad…"

"Well, that's what we said moons ago… back when there was still actually enough food to support us. Things are _not _getting better." The lioness kneaded her claws into the ground irritably, leaving Nyota with a slightly nonplussed expression. She was too young to remember all of these allusions to previous and better times.

"Alright, I suppose that's true, but… you don't have to be so—"

"—So what?"

"So… obtuse. Just give him a chance, maybe?"

"_I'm the obtuse one?_" Nala snapped at the young lioness angrily, causing her to shrink back slightly in surprise, "Why… _Why_ do you always take _his_ side? You don't know any better! I'm not just going to give that tyrant ruining the kingdom '_a chance_'_! _He doesn't deserve it!"

A tense pause followed.

"It was just a suggestion," Nyota added timidly, "you don't have to get angry."

Nala only snorted slightly, before looking back at the vividly brightening shades of pink appearing there. Several huntresses were already awake and preparing to leave. "… Let's go."

"Wait, Nala… you haven't even rested. Why don't you sleep in a bit and go tomorrow? You can't get in _that _much trouble…" Nyota pleaded with her, but the older lioness was already on her feet and preparing for the day ahead.

"It's not trouble I'm worried about, Nyota. I'm worried about the pride, and I'm not going to let us starve. Come on," she tapped her younger counterpart with one of her paws, inciting her to her feet as well. "We have a long day ahead."

"I know…" Nyota trailed off, somewhat tired herself. She again yawned, before taking a luxuriant stretch to warm up her stiff limbs and sore muscles.

The two headed out of the cave and towards the huntresses' meeting place: a small patch of earth, barren of foliage from constant treading and wear, which was strategically situated on the crest of a small hill overlooking the remnants of the plains. How long they had used this spot, Nala could not recall—indeed, it appeared as though it had been used for several generations. A few gnarled, twisted tree stumps poked up through the soil nearby, and the skeletons of several unfortunate prey animals littered the parched ground as well. Overall, it had the appearance of a graveyard: a place where life once thrived, but dared to do so no longer.

They were one of the first ones there. Perhaps the only lioness more punctual and more eager to go was Sarabi, who had long assumed the role of lead huntress. The wizening lioness had performed such a weary routine as the one she now held for years, and her experience seemed boundless at times. If there was any individual in the pride who knew the fine points of the art of hunting more than Sarabi, it would have undeniably been a wonder. Nala, however, had been praised by the former queen over her hunting prowess since she was a cub, and was rapidly earning respect in the eyes of the lionesses. Nyota was not far worse either, and both already possessed respectable skills.

"Well, are you girls ready?"

"I suppose," Nala yawned, "I'll try my best, in any case." She bowed her head again in respect, and Nyota only stared off, eyes drooping.

"As always, I am very impressed with your sacrifice and perseverance. And that goes for the both of you." The eldest lioness cast a glance at Nyota, who perked up slightly from her lethargy. "You will both make outstanding huntresses some day."

"Thank you for your words, my queen."

Sarabi returned her gesture with a smile, and headed off to talk to another lioness nearby—the only other individual present in their bare and plain surroundings. At least, except for the lone, lithe figure approaching from the distance. A silhouette whose identity was obvious… even from a distance. Zira. She walked proudly, head held high and features expressing disdain for those around her. Nala's eyes narrowed, but at the same time, Zira was the least of her worries. She had to focus herself… on the hunt, and on the well-being of the pride. And so she remained stoic and aloof, even as the scraggly lioness approached her and began to whisper in her ear…

"Hmm, Nala… here early, are you?"

"Yes."

"You must be _tired_, aren't you? We don't need a tired lioness on the hunt, but… if you insist on coming… it will be amusing to watch you _fail_. I bet _Nyota _could catch more prey than you."

"Maybe she will, maybe she won't. That's assuming we catch anything at all, _Zira_," the young lioness responded indifferently, looking out at the horizon in front of her and briefly catching a glimpse of Nyota as the latter paced to and fro in order to prepare herself.

"Well then, if you're _so confident _that neither of us will catch anything… how about a challenge? I bet that, by the end of the day, I'll catch something… and you and your friend won't." Zira smirked, withdrawing her lips from her rival's ear with a wry smile. Nala finally snapped out of her faux-trance, looking over at Zira with a defiant and agitated expression on her face.

"_Fine, then_… if you insist… you're on."

* * *

_Hmmm... well. XD Scar's creepy - that's a very astute observation, Nala. :3 And poor Nyota has no clue about anything. _

_Alright... so I don't know what else to say, other than the usual, hackneyed 'please review' spiel. Click the button and tell me how I did, please. :) Was it what you expected? A surprise? Was anyone OOC? Do you like my OC? XD Anything goes, people. :p lol_

_See you soon._

_~Twin ;)_


	3. The Gathering

_**A/N:**_

_Well, here I am again. (: Sorry the chapter's so short... I didn't know what else to do with it, and I kind of wanted to publish it today. x.x And I think I ended it on a good note, so whatever... lol :p_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Well, that was humiliating," Nala limped through the grass irritably, Nyota pacing faithfully by her side.

"Tell me about it." The younger lioness nodded her head in assent, sharing somewhat in her companion's disgruntled emotions and outlook. For ahead of them, blotted out by the rays of the sun and barely visible as a silhouette, the thin figure of Zira was triumphantly holding a prize gazelle in her jaws.

"It's just… uncanny."

Sarabi also paced past them, a hunk of fresh carrion in her muzzle as well. Hers, however, was a much older specimen—a tawny gazelle which had been sickly and aged. Alas, Sarabi's body itself was similarly taxed by her hard life and natural senescence, and she simply was not able to muster enough speed to catch anything faster. The former queen respectfully nodded to the pair of huntresses, a signal of acknowledgement as she treaded on by.

"Can you stop a minute, please, Nyota?" Nala panted with labored breath, gingerly setting her left leg—which was afflicted with a sore spot of inflammation and a significant amount of pain—onto the hard ground. Nyota obediently stayed, slumping down and tiredly yawning as her friend rested.

"I can't believe I got kicked… so embarrassing…" Nala rubbed her forehead wearily, also sharing in the contagious yawn. "I'm just out of it today."

"Maybe you should have rested, or at least listened to Sarabi. Really, we were lucky to find such a large herd. We should have left more so that the population wouldn't deplete completely, and taken only take what we needed."

"That's _everything_…" Nala fixed her pointedly with a stare, kneading her claws into the ground. "There are too many mouths to feed. We need all we can get." She shifted slightly, wincing in pain as her delicate limb struggled to find proper footing. After several moments, both of them rose and continued walking…

"You try too hard, Nala. Just slow down and smell the roses." Nyota stopped and stooped down emphatically, taking a dramatic sniff of the ground and pretending that the odorous stench of rotting meat and dusty terrain was, in actuality, the sweet and enticing scent of a sun-ripened flower.

"Says the lioness who didn't even try to catch anything… and what are you doing? What has gotten into you?" Nala stopped, watching Nyota intently as the latter rolled contentedly across the parched ground.

"I don't know," the young lioness burbled jubilantly, "but you know what would be nice right now? A nap."

Nala scoffed.

"Yeah, but you're going to have to ask our '_royal majesty, the great king Scar' _for one of those. Good luck."

The younger lioness frowned, rolling onto her feet and dejectedly following behind her friend. Indeed, there was no use in arguing with her at times like this. Nala was simply too tired, too depressed, too angry… and that made her especially peevish and irritable.

"Well, _one of us _caught something, at least. Let's just hope Zira doesn't ride you for it."

"Always hopeful, aren't you, Nyota?" Nala rolled her eyes, knowing there was nothing to do about it. She still clearly and lucidly remembered the older lioness' countenance as she was kicked. The triumphant smirk Zira had flashed her as she went dashing by her still and hurting body. And finally the loud, chaotic, and oddly distracting… yelling.

"Hey, I told you to run faster, but you didn't do anything. You just sat there. No wonder it ran away."

"_Huh! _I was _kicked_, Nyota… did you really think _screaming_ at me was going to help?"

"I don't know. I mean, I kind of hoped…" She shrugged diffidently, not quite sure of what to say... and clearly somewhat alienated. Nyota shrunk back, her mood quickly becoming dejected. The older huntress sighed slightly, eyes drooping as she shot her friend an apologetic glance.

"I'm sorry… I really _am _tired." She frowned ruefully, finishing their trip to Pride Rock as they reached the erratic rock base of their previously luminary kingdom. "Well, let's see how this goes."

Nyota and Nala sat down side by side, tired and anticipating the next few moments—when their king would finally withdraw from his cavern and address them. He ate first, of course, so in the meantime there was little to do but wait and endure the unremitting entreaties of the hyenas as they begged for food.

"Heya, look. It's fresh _meat_… for us hyenas, right, sugar?" The matriarch of the local pack descended the promontory and approached the nearby form of Sarabi, fangs bared and glistening with saliva. Nala's neck bristled and she backed up a step, still instinctively alarmed… Nyota, however, was more than used to the presence of the species at Pride Rock, and merely sat there with a casual expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" The young lioness queried, watching as Nala's face contorted to display a countenance of fear and repulsion.

"Nothing," she interjected quickly, eyes focused on the begging and filthy figure prowling about amidst the huntresses. "Just… memories, that's all. They were never supposed to be here."

"Mmm," Nyota acknowledged her with a curt nod, being incited into silence by the sudden, somewhat tardy appearance of the ruling monarch. The other huntresses ceased their respective conversations, and all of them bowed their heads slightly in a show of respect and submissive loyalty. The skinny figure of Zira was visible from her usual position at the very front, and she flashed the king a vaguely sly smile.

Scar appeared on the rock high above them, his expression smug and somewhat careless. Flanked by two hyena guards, he looked down at the crowd and studied them thoughtfully, an almost indistinguishable chortle accompanying his short and rather laconic smirk. His dark-rimmed eyes darted to and fro, occasionally settling on one or another of the lionesses gathered there.

"Hello, my patient and faithful huntresses: I extend my cordial greetings to each and every one of you for your willful efforts. Of course, before we enjoy the meat you have so graciously braved the wilderness for, I have a rather special announcement to make. Zira, would you stand by me, please?"

Zira smiled to herself and mounted the summit, her self-carriage betraying pride and belligerence. She waltzed to Scar's side, a smile parting her lips from ear to ear as she looked down at the crowd with disdain.

"Do you think he will make her his queen?" Nyota turned her head and addressed Nala in a hushed whisper, ignorant to the fact that several others were simultaneously voicing the very same query amongst their peers.

"Doubtlessly." Nala mouthed almost silently, gazing at the soon-to-be-royal pair with a sort of detached curiosity.

"And here, on this day, it shall be known…"

Zira maintained her arrogant simper as she brushed her fur against Scar's, clearly anticipatory and excited…

"… that the lioness of our pride, Zira, shall now be bestowed with the honorable title…"

Each huntress drew in a collective breath, the gleam of Zira's fangs in the sun obvious even from afar. Nyota briefly locked eyes with Nala, wondering what this would mean…

"Of…"

All was silent.

"_Lead huntress!_"

The lionesses reluctantly let out a vapid and unenthusiastic cheer for the lioness, whose face fell for the smallest of moments… only to be followed by a desperate and sycophantic thrust towards his feet. Nala watched with mild repulsion as the thin lioness began passionately kissing his paws, only to be ignored by the lion—who was clearly preparing to monologue with another dogmatic, hackneyed soliloquy.

"There is a lot that can be gleaned from this lioness' outstanding conduct: lessons that you _all _would do well to learn from. Alas, she is truly a gem among many, which is why you all should be grateful for that which we have here in—"

"—_You can't do that!_"

The lionesses perked up their ears and instinctively looked to Nala—she, however, was not the one who had spoken, and was glancing about with as much surprise as they were. Alas, the entire band of huntresses studied their surroundings… and they were surprised to find the normally quiet, calm countenance of an aged Sarabi twisted into an angry expression of enmity and implied offense. She held herself firmly and with steadfastness, well aware of the fact that she was one of the few who could readily question the king's motives with lessened consequences…

"And why can I not, Sarabi?" he questioned gruffly, prowling down the promontory to confront her. Zira, as always, followed suit with as much of an expression of zeal as she could potentially foster.

"Look, Scar," she started out, rage boiling in her voice even as she attempted to calm herself and speak with reason, "my king may have died, and I may not be queen of the pride… but how dare you revoke my honor in such a shameful way? I have led the huntresses for many moons now, and am more suited to the job than _this _young lioness."

"Well," he rebutted dismissively, ignoring her appeals, "I can assure you, Sarabi, that my intellect is sufficient to execute such a basic decision. You are old, and you do not know what is best for you."

The huntress retreated a pace backwards, indignant. She fixed him with her insistent gaze, signaling her firmness and unwillingness to be overlooked so readily…

"And just _what _are you saying? _I _can assure _you_, Scar, that I am still more than capable in my age… and I've got half a mind to _show_ you!"

She advanced on him suddenly, fangs displayed and claws extended threateningly. The old lioness bluntly swiped at him—not in such a way to hurt him, but merely to thwack some sense into him. Scar, however, deftly avoided the blow and stamped his paw forcefully against the ground, whereupon the hyenas were summoned and ready to pin her to the cold stone beneath them…

The other lionesses backed up, shocked by the sudden and rather ominous turn of events. While the two had shared much friction with one another, and debates on policy were often instigated, never had either of them gone quite so far as this.

"You dare to raise a paw against your _king_? Why, that is the very trait of traitorous traitors! I expected better of you, Sarabi… much better. You claim that I smirched your honor, and yet you do no better to yourself and your position." He purred delicately, clear rue in his features as he slunk towards the former queen and stood over her in a pose of dominance. Sarabi only lay there tranquilly, retaining her royal dignity even through her distress.

"There are consequences for certain actions, Sarabi; as much as it pains me, I must administer them in accordance with your behavior, in order that the rest of the pride does not go astray."

He smirked somewhat, then walked off a short distance away in apparent carelessness. Pacing back and forth, he whipped his tail about and studied her closely, pondering over what he should do—if, in fact, he should actually do anything at all… a mere act of backtracking and revoking his decision may have been equally adequate. Indeed, far stranger events had occurred during his idiosyncratic and highly capricious rule.

His doubts, of course, were conveniently supported by yet another outcry. This time it was from the young and previously silent lioness Nyota, who visibly jumped with the sudden realization that she had actually voiced herself.

"Come on, Scar: there's no need to do this. Let her up, please…"

Scar briefly stopped short and met his gaze with hers, his mood clearly and seamlessly having shifted into one that was significantly more lucid and contemplative. There was no visible, outward sign that this had even taken place—there was only the glance he gave her as evidence. The look which so clearly and obviously contrasted with his previous reproachful disposition.

"She's right, Scar. Release her." Nala spoke up with a little more boldness than her friend had, refusing to let her vague sense of uneasiness and disquiet show in her gleaming turquoise eyes.

"Mmmm… _Et tu_, Nala? I see…" he narrowed his eyes, effortlessly sliding off of the rock and ordering his hyenas to follow him. The lion was already halfway to his cave and nearly out of sight before he finally turned around.

"This changes nothing." The monarch concluded, "Zira is still the lead huntress, and there shall be no further discussion on this topic. Good night to all of you."

Silence quickly enraptured the huntresses' surroundings, and many of them were slightly agape in confusion and shock. Had that really just happened? Several of them cast glances around, inane questions storming through their heads like a stampede of buffalo… until, of course, one anonymous lioness asked the most important query of all:

"So… does this mean we can eat?"

* * *

_Yeah, I know I didn't describe the hunt... sorry if that disappointed anyone. XD But you all get the idea, and I hope the chapter was adequate anyways. :p Besides, this fic is probably going to be long, just like Trampled... and, as **Reldor **noted, I know a lot of this seems like filler. I want to pick up the pace soon, and unfortunately that requires a chapter or two of setting/introduction/immersion in the surroundings/etc/blahblahblah. As sad as it is to say, this is not Trampled, nor is it a high-speed suspense fic. This is somewhat slower and simpler, with more dramatic/romantic themes. Hence the slow start. But I'm doing the best I can. ;)_

_And the _'et tu, Nala?' _thing is a reference to Caesar's last words in Latin: 'et tu, Brutus?' [and you, Brutus?] Referring, of course, to the fact that Brutus was the one who stabbed him to death. XD Since I imagine Scar as smart and sophisticated, it would only make sense that he would know things like Latin. ;p Or maybe not, I don't know... I just threw that in there for fun. _

_Review, review, review! :D And have a great day/afternoon/evening!_

_Twin (:_


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